Tag: sensitization

If you’ve read my other posts in this series, you know I’ve been promoting counterconditioning (or re-learning) as one of the best techniques to reduce fear in the veterinary clinic.

You might be thinking: “Aaaaw, that’s too much of a hassle, there’s no time. Why not just grab the animal, do what needs to be done, and with time, the animal will get used to it? It will habituate.”

There are four reasons why I don’t think that’s a good idea:

• If it works, it’s a slow process
• Meanwhile, you risk injury in staff handling the animal and difficulty in diagnosis.
• You run the risk of sensitization (the animal becoming successively more fearful)
• You risk confusing successful habituation with learned helplessness (animals giving up; a potentially pathological reaction)

Continue reading “4 reasons why habituation is not a good choice of technique to reduce fear at the vet’s”